Limestone Head of the Buddha (550 - 577)

This head of the Buddha is exceptional in the quality of its carving with every snail shell curl of the hair fully carved. It has crisply defined features, with an incised line defining the arc of the eyebrow and a polished surface to the face. A metal halo originally must have been attached as evidenced by two small iron pins that remain on the back of the head. When complete this must have been a life-size statue and would have been very impressive.

The Buddha is depicted in a state of heightened meditation, which is very well captured here with the down cast eyes and intensely inward expression. It is one of the finest of the sculptures from the Northern Qi period to have survived, even if just a fragment.